Additive manufacturing of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) bipolar plates: A critical review of latest processing methods, performance, and scalability

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), powered by high-purity green hydrogen, represent affordable and sustainable solutions for decarbonizing modern energy systems. In PEMFCs, the multiphase transport properties of bipolar plates (BPs), which depend on their design characteristics, largely determine cell efficiency and longevity. Although unconventional BP designs have been developed to enhance mass transport, their implementation has remained limited to laboratory-scale demonstrations due to the restricted design adaptability and low fabrication resolution of conventional manufacturing routes. Additive manufacturing, with its geometric freedom, enables the fabrication of complex and nonintuitive geometries with fewer production steps. Recent feasibility studies have reported the additive manufacturing of metallic, polymeric, and carbon-based composite BPs. As additive manufacturing of PEMFC BPs is still in the early stages of research and development, a thorough assessment of performance, scalability, and industrial readiness can clarify its current maturity and define future research directions. Accordingly, this study reviews recent progress in additive manufacturing of PEMFC BPs via powder bed fusion, material extrusion, photopolymerization, and jetting processes. Specifically, it discusses manufacturing capabilities and the characteristics of fabricated plates, evaluated both ex situ and in situ within fuel cells, and compares them with conventionally manufactured BPs. Among the processes assessed, laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) delivers the optimal balance of geometric fidelity, surface finish, microstructural control, electrical conductivity, and corrosion resistance. After post-processing treatments, LPBF-fabricated BPs have demonstrated electrochemical performance that can exceed that of conventionally manufactured ones. This review also identifies challenges to the commercialization and scalability of printed BPs.